In honor of the man they’re dubbing “the world’s oldest brewery employee,” Union Craft Brewing will throw a party on Jan. 13 for Henry “Zadie” Benesch, who is turning 98. Fittingly, his favorite Union beer, Blackwing Lager, can be had for just $.98.
Zadie is the grandfather of Union co-founder Adam Benesch, and his nickname comes from the Yiddish word for grandfather, writes another Union co-founder, Jon Zerivitz, by email.
The elder Benesch began showing up for work as the brewery was still being built about six years ago.
“He’s showed up pretty much every single day since and found himself an active daily role on the packaging team folding all of our case trays,” writes Zerivitz. “He folds hundreds of trays a day.”
Other specials in Benesch’s honor will include a selection of his favorite cigars, sold by A. Fader & Son, as well as grilled cheese sandwiches from SayCheese. He also serves as the inspiration for the music playlist; it’s his day, after all.
And getting a locally made Union beer for under a buck is something we can all celebrate.
